Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-17
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The plans below show a harbour in 2000 and how it looks today.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Student answer (Band 4.0)
The map chart below show porth harbour in 2000 and it looks today In 2000 there was a marina private yachts in west side of the harbour.There was also a dock in middle area. Passanger ferries wear locted in the near the dock .A publice beach was situated in the eastern side .there was two car perking on the weastern side along the showers and toilets .Fish boats was kept on eastern side part of the harbour .A life boat was th station was also present near the road .In the addtion there was an old cartle disused southern area
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 3.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 3.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0
The response identifies several features from 2000, including the marina, dock, passenger ferries, beaches, car parks, fishing boats and disused castle. However, it does not summarise the plans as a comparison: there is no overview of the main changes, and the present-day layout is almost entirely omitted. Some locations are also inaccurate or unclear; for example, the marina is described as being on the west side, whereas it is in the northern basin, and the dock is not in the middle. The response is also 50 words below the required minimum, leaving too little space to cover the task adequately. To improve, give an overview and describe key changes, such as the marina and fishing boats switching areas and the castle becoming a hotel.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5
The response has a basic sequence, beginning with the 2000 plan and then listing features, so the reader can recognise that it concerns the harbour. However, it is presented as one long, loosely connected block rather than a clearly organised summary, and there is no separate overview or comparison with the present-day plan. Linking is limited and sometimes awkward: “There was also” and “In the addition” do not establish clear relationships between the features. Several statements run together without reliable punctuation, which makes the progression difficult to follow. Organise the response into an introduction, an overview of the main changes, and a paragraph comparing key locations; use clear links such as “By contrast” and “Meanwhile.”
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The response uses some relevant task vocabulary, including “marina,” “dock,” “passenger ferries,” “public beach,” and “car parking,” showing a basic ability to name map features. However, the range is limited and several misspellings or inaccurate forms make the meaning harder to understand, such as “Passanger,” “locted,” “publice,” “Fish boats,” and “cartle.” Some phrases are also imprecise, including “in middle area” and “eastern side part.” Use accurate map vocabulary and collocations, for example “in the northern basin,” “on the eastern shore,” and “the fishing-boat area.” Proofreading spelling and choosing precise location phrases would make the description clearer and more appropriate for this task.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.0
Most of the response relies on short, simple statements, such as “There was also a dock in middle area,” with little variety in sentence structure. Errors in articles, agreement, tense and sentence boundaries are frequent: “there was two car perking” should use a plural verb and noun, while “Fish boats was kept” has incorrect agreement and passive construction. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, with several sentences joined or separated unclearly. These problems sometimes make the relationships between features difficult to follow. Practise accurate simple sentences first, then combine related details using clauses such as “while” or “whereas.” Check subject–verb agreement, articles and full stops when editing.
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